Nyungwe forest National Park Rwanda is located in the western Great Rift Valley it stretches from Lake Albert to the Lake Tanganyika. The Rift has many mountains and Lakes that flow west into the Congo River system. The Albertine rift besides having an amazing landscape, it is also known for its endemic species of fauna and flora.

In Nyungwe Forest national Park Rwanda there are about 1,068 plant species, among them over 200 species are trees and 248 species of Orchids, and other new species are being found each year. And also about 85 mammal species are found in Nyungwe, including 13 primates’ species.

Also, Nyungwe accommodates over 300 bird species & 29 species of them are endemics to the Albertine rift. This makes Nyungwe the best Bird watching site, as many named it birds paradise.

The biodiversity of Nyungwe Forest National Park Rwanda is even further enriched by other landscapes including swamps, marshes, bamboo thicket, heath, open woodland and many microhabitats. Nyungwe is known to its 13 primate species including the famous chimpanzees.

This is the best site for chimpanzee trekking and there is also the largest troop of the black and white Colobus monkey.

There are also fragmented forests including, Cyamudongo home of the well-habituated chimpanzees and Gisakura which has other fragmented forests where the second habituated small troop of the Colobus monkeys lives.

Nyungwe has over 130 km of constructed trails, which allows all travelers of the different fitness levels to enjoy its beauty, by benefiting fresh air.

Nyungwe forest National park Rwanda offers some unique activities such as canopy walk which can not be found anywhere else in East Africa and it is not even common in whole Africa.

The suspended bridge offers best aerial view of the forests’ canopy. Nyungwe Forest National Park Rwanda has three reception centers; one in Kitabi near the entrance, the second is Uwinka reception center in the middle of the Park and the third one is Gisakura reception center.

Nyungwe Forest National Park Rwanda has some cheap camping services and there is a tented camping ground at Uwinka. Till now there are no hotels infrastructures inside the Park but you can find them around the park.

Nyungwe Forest’s environmental services are playing a big role and the park offers 75% of the country’s water. It has many different rivers on each side of the Park.

The rivers that flow towards the west pour into the Congo River and other rivers that flow towards the East pour into Nile River though they first make Akagera river.

The furthest source of the Nile is in Nyungwe according to Richard Kandt and other researchers behind him.

For one to able to visit Nyungwe forest, you will have to buy a permit for any activity through the online platform then bring your proof of payment at the park’s reception center. The Park is always open from 7am to 5pm.

BRIEF HISTORY OF NYUNGWE FOREST NATIONAL PARK RWANDA

Facts on the history of Nyungwe Forest National Park Rwanda is that the park has existed for many years since 1903 when the German Colonial government declared the park as a reserve and a colonial crown land of Nyungwe. 

However in 1958 and 1973 the national park was reduced in size by the fires, poached of animals increased, deforestation and all this made the park reduce to 150 sq.km.

A big number of elephants were killed and in the year of 1975, Buffaloes were as well killed. In 1984 there was a population growth of about 400 colobus monkeys that lived in the forest in groups.

There was a setup of research facilities in Uwinka and however during the genocide in 1994, there was destruction of all the facilities in Uwinka.

After the destruction of the tourist facilities in the 1994, there was a restoration of the facilities which started in 1995, until 2004 when the park was declared as a national park.

This time Rwanda was listed among the top tourist destinations and during this period there was an increase in the tourism sector.

CHIMPANZEE TREKKING

Two groups of Chimpanzees are being habituated in Nyungwe forest national park Rwanda: one found at Uwinka and other big group found at Cyamudongo as fragmented forest.

Chimpanzees trekking in Cyamudongo forest distance, altitude gain and estimated time will depend on where the chimpanzees are located and the terrain of the forest area being trekked.

The round trip walk for the chimpanzee trekking of this hike takes about 4.2km with a total altitude gain of about 240m. This represented roughly an hour of walking and three hours of looking through treetops mainly to look out for chimps, monkeys and birds.

WHAT TO CARRY FOR CHIMPANZEE TREKKING

As you prepare to go for the chimpanzee trekking, there are some essentials that one needs to carry in order to have a successfully safari.

Some of these include Bring binoculars, rain gear, hiking boots or gum boot, water and snacks. Walking sticks will be provided to help you get a grip of the ground as you hike/trek.

Cyamudongo forest is one of the Nyungwe top sections for chimpanzee trekking where tourists from all over the world travel to as a home of big group of chimpanzees.

HOW TO GET THERE

Cyamudongo is a recent annex to the park and is about an hour’s drive from the Gisakura reception center located outside the main boundaries of Nyungwe.

This forest is a 19 sq.km fragment of the rainforest, that survived because it was too steep for cultivation and surrounded by tea plantations and eucalyptus groves with modest homesteads and shops perched on steep hillsides. 

From the main road out of Nyungwe, Cyamudongo is reached by a rough and dirt track and it requires 4-4 car. About 11 km long at the Shagasha tea estate and village, a sidetrack is taken to the park.

While there you will meet with teams of trackers and rangers who follow the trekkers during daylight hours to help and protect them. They usually have a radio communication with the guides so that tourists can be led to chimps by the most efficient route.

BEST TIME FOR CHIMPANZEE TREKKING

The Chimpanzees are easily seen in the early morning and this usually means having to wake up around 4:00-4:30 AM in June, July and August. The fig trees in the park are the fruits which make this forest a good one for chimps trekking.

The chimpanzees feed until much later in the morning so tourists sleeping until normal hours still have good chance to see them.

Only two groups of visitors are permitted to trek a particular group of primates on a given day and then they are allowed to spend only hour.

COLOBUS MONKEYS IN GISAKURA FOREST

If you have done a strenuous hike the previous day or have just arrived with a few hours before dinner, this is a relaxed outing which can be done in one to three hours. This is an easy hike and accessible from the nearby Gisakura guest house and Nyungwe forest lodge which is currently called one and only.

The guide is required to accompany you and you ought to bring binoculars, rain gear, water and proper hiking shoes. Your guide will provide a walking stick.

Gisakura forest is an isolated patch of rainforest in the middle of tea plantation just outside the park boundary.  It lies in a deep little valley with a stream flowing along the bottom. Gisakura Forest is less than 1 sq.km in size and it is the watershed for the spring serving the tea plantation.

This little forest remnant received park status in 2005 when it was discovered that a group of Angolan black and white colobus monkeys had established their home range there.

Fortunately, these primates can supplement their natural diet with alien pine and eucalyptus, otherwise their small home territory could not sustain them.

You may spot a Mona monkey mixed in with the colobus. There is a little agreement on why this one monkey is there and what role he plays. A solitary tracker follows them in and out of the forest and is responsible for protecting them.

If the colobus is at home, the tracker will direct the guide to a particular access trail to lead you there. If the colobus is not found you can enjoy a short stroll in the forest or even better a pleasant walk along the perimeter on plantation roads especially to the right of the forest and at the far end of that section.

At that point, the plantation track veers right. On a clear day, there is a beautiful view of the dramatically hilly countryside all the way to Lake Kivu and the DRC.

Because the perimeter road gets lots of sun. There are many species of wild flowers here not found in the rest of the forest. Among them are bright blue brillantaisia, impatiens, begonia, and variety shrubs.

CANOPY WALKWAY EXPERIENCE

The Canopy walk in Rwanda is an exhilarating experience done in  Nyungwe forest National Park Rwanda on a suspended bridge 70m high above the great Nyungwe forest and this walk is guided walk on a 160 m long walkway that takes about 2 hours on this suspended bridge.

NYUNGWE NATIONAL PARK HIKING TRAILS

Nyungwe forest National Park Rwanda Hiking Trails are many in number and lead you to a different kind of safaris that entails of nature walks, birding safaris, primate safaris among others. These trails are designed to give a travel the best safaris.

Nyungwe Forest National Park Rwanda Hiking Trails in the park are divided into three geographical groups which include the trails between Kitabi and Uwinka reception center, a trail that begins at Uwinka reception and trails that begins between Uwinka and Gisakura reception.

KAMIRANZOVU WATERFALL HIKE

Kamiranzovu waterfalls is found in Kamiranzovu swamp which is located in Nyungwe forest National Park Rwanda, Kamiranzovu is the largest wetland in Nyungwe national park.

Kamiranzovu is one of the most splendid sites for tourists to explore on their African safaris. This beautiful waterfall is within Nyungwe Forest national park in south west of Rwanda which is famous for the source of the mighty river Nile .

Kamiranzovu waterfalls reward travelers equally with an exceptional experience alongside chimpanzees that is breathtaking, interesting and amazing.

Kamiranzovu waterfalls has two sections ,the lower part drops at about 50 meters that makes permanent mist down the rocks and the second section forms a pool of water that reflect the greenery vegetation which lies on big rocks with a unique spot for visitors to take incredible photography.

Kamiranzovu waterfalls speed depend on the season, during rainy seasons can be intense especially if it is receiving about 2000 mile liters raindrops which occurs within 9 months yearly.

This fall is the major water catchment within Nyungwe forest National park Rwanda. Adventuring kamiranzovu waterfall can be done at any time of the year, it only takes 4 to 5 hours’ drive approximately from Kigali city center and one & a half walk from Uwinka which is Nyungwe forest national park rwanda visitor’s center.